A.N: Well long time no see readers, for this chapter I'd appreciate reviews
telling if you think I'm developing the character well. Thank you! (I know
it's not that long or very eventful but oh well.)
Chapter 8:
How could anyone look so peaceful at a time like this? There were at least half a dozen vampires just waiting to break in to kill them all, and Amber looked so peaceful, she was resting. Amber's eyes were closed and here back was against a door being repeatedly slammed by vampires.
"Stop it," Amber laughed reaching her hand out to hit Connor. Her tired eyes opened and she couldn't' help but laugh.
"Stop what?" Connor asked returning the smile.
"Looking at me," she said, stretching. "You're acting as if I'm completely insane. I mean just cause half a dozen vampires will soon break through this door and kill a bunch of us is no need to panic."
"Right," Connor rolled his eyes. "What was I thinking?"
"Now Connor we all know you don't think," Amber said sarcastically as Connor covered his anger with a smile. "So how long are we going to wait here for?"
"Well, personally, I don't think I can wait any longer," Connor looked at their companions, there was only four of them all up but they couldn't' just keep waiting for back up. "I say we do it now."
For a moment, or so, Amber admired the strong determination in Connor's eyes, he was definitely a warrior. Though she tried to just see him as her friend and ally, Amber couldn't help but look deep into his eyes seeing his hidden pain, no matter how Connor had tried to overcome whenever Amber was near him she could feel it, and sometimes he could feel her feel it.
"What do you guys think?" Amber asked turning to their quiet comrades.
"I say we go for it," one of them said, raising his fist enthusiastically.
"Alright," Connor said rolling over and standing. Amber watched him, waiting for a signal to move, when Connor would open an assault on the raging vampires. "Now!' Connor yelled with his sword at the ready.
As soon as Connor said so, Amber rolled out of the way and watched Connor rush out into the mess of vampires, their other comrades soon followed but Connor had taken the lead and was easily fighting the vampires, who had been caught by surprise. They worked as a team, and they did it quite well. Even though Connor took the lead he would be dead without the help of the rest of them.
Amber then got to her feet and joined the fight. It was the strangest thing, despite the odds and the severity of the situation Amber knew they would win. She could sense help was on the way.
A loud crash shot through the building as one of the windows smashed, and a dark coat-wearing figure emerged. The man instantly rolled to his feet and began fighting the vampire with them. And immediately a small meek looking girl with a crossbow and a muscular African American man followed him into the building, and joined the battle as well.
Connor's sword swung about wildly, trying to free himself from the vampire swarm that had attempted to engulf him, he couldn't break free and there were too many of them to fight on his own, he was strong but he was still human, and right now he needed help. Just as Connor was tempted to give up two of the vampires burst into dust, one from a crossbow bolt, and the other by a stake held tightly in Angel's grip, who had come to help in the fight.
Though it wasn't easy for Connor, a deadly fight made seeing his father a lot easier. The two didn't even have time to glare so they simply continued with the fight, Connor had thought his own fighting skills to be impressive but compared to his father they were entirely insignificant.
Angel was taking on about three vampires, and there were only five left, leaving one to Connor and Jade, the other to Fred and Gunn, and it was not long before the fight was over. Angel emerging the victor.
"Hey," Connor said, deciding this time to start the conversation. "Just in the neighborhood?"
"Uh. yeah," Angel responded quickly. "A client came by hoping we could clear out a nest, apparently he's looking to fix this place up and turn it into a low-rent apartment complex."
"Right," Connor said, barely even trying to sound interested. "Well I think we should head back to base, we've been gone for hours." Connor turned to Amber.
It was hard for Amber to be shoved in the middle of a father son dispute, she had heard about Connor's messed up past, son of two vampires, raised in a hell dimension. Though Connor ad never said it to her, she could clearly see, no matter if he wanted to, or if he would admit it, Connor loved his father, maybe that made it harder.
"Connor," Angel called after his son, Connor turned waiting for what Angel had to say. "I was hoping we could talk, you know, catch up."
"I don't think." Connor began as Amber nudged him in the back encouragingly. Though she was trying to help Connor didn't appreciate the nudge. "I think. maybe another time." Connor closed the conversation and turned to Amber, they, and their allies, regrouped and headed back to their base camp, leaving Angel rejected, and Gunn and Fred to console him.
"Hey man, it's alight," Gunn consoled his friend.
"Angel you shouldn't worry," Fred said putting her hand, comfortingly, on Angel's shoulder. "He's jus confused, you know how bad he felt. after."
"Sinking me to the bottom of the ocean for an entire summer?" Angel inquired.
"Well there's that, " Gunn continued. "And if before that, the kid wasn't exactly a poster boy for inner-calm. Growing up with Holtz in a hell dimension must've been like."
"Hell," Angel finished.
"Yeah that."
"But if he's so sorry, why doesn't he want to make it right?" Angel asked dejectedly.
There was a moment of silence between the group, they had grown so close over the years and it was hard for them to keep secrets from each other, but Gunn and Fred had been avoiding saying what was really on their minds.
"Angel," Gunn said after an exchange in looks, between Fred and himself. "There's something Fred and I wanted to ask you."
"What?"
"Well, we spent the whole summer looking for you, and you're back." Gunn waited for some kind of response from Angel but continued when there was none. "Then when you got be, we spent all our time looking for Cordelia, and you found her."
"Are we nearing your point Gunn?" Angel asked, hurt by the mention of Cordelia, and what she had been called off to do.
"What now?" Gunn asked Angel, who hadn't even thought of that. "I mean Connor isn't ready to come back, and though we've had a few cases since you've been back business hasn't exactly been booming. So what now?"
*****************
Of all the things in the world Amber needed, guilt was not one of them. It had been over a day since Amber had been to encouraging for Connor to bond with his father, and he had only grown more distant from her since.
It was so much easier to assume everyone problems were so simple, but like Amber herself Connor's problems were coated in layers of pain and complications.
For almost ten minutes now, Amber had been standing outside the room Connor shared with Mike; the two had been sparing the entire time while Amber had been searching for the words to make peace with Connor. It was so hard for Amber to form a connection with anyone, and the one she had with Connor was too precious to her for her to lose it so quickly.
As Amber's eyes stared numbly at the cold floor her ears and mind shot into the room besides her and she could feel Connor and mike on the other side, though she couldn't physically see the events her mind, and her gift were giving her a good idea to what it was like. When Connor and Mike sparred in generally wouldn't last to long, Connor would quickly gain the upper hand and retain it, always beating Mike, but this time Amber could sense how tense the fight was, Mike was putting his body into overdrive, trying to beat Connor, while Connor was trying to retain his focus and stressing himself out by pressuring himself to improve his skill.
Suddenly Amber's focus was broken by the two loud thuds of Mike's fist smacking into Connor's stomach and face knocking him back and off balance. Amber swung the door open fiercely and saw Connor struggling back to his feet ready to continue to hideous brawl.
"Would you two knock it off," Amber requested with only a slight rise in her voice.
"Yeah Connor," Mike agreed. "Maybe we should call it off for now."
"Well if you're too tired to go on," Connor said raising his eyebrows, trying to goat Mike into another round. "But I guess you didn't have much hope anyway."
Mike eyed Connor with mild anger, his muscles were soar and he was tired from the fight, he would have the strength to go on but he didn't think it would be for them to continue.
"Stop it," Amber said quietly.
When she did that Connor always wanted to know if the pain in Amber's eyes was genuine or if it was just a technique for her to get her own way. But either way he couldn't argue with it.
Connor pulled off his boxing gloves and his sweat soaked t-shirt and headed towards his draws were he kept a small towel, he began to rub the towel over his muscular chest as he exited to room, heading for the bathroom at the other end of the building, he said nothing as he passed Amber and wore is sullen look all the way with him.
"How is he?" Amber asked Mike who was having a cool drink of water, obviously the fight had, had more backlash on him than Connor.
"He's off his game," Mike replied looking Amber head on as he began to smirk. "You really care about him don't you?"
"He's had." It only just occurred to Amber what Mike was implying; she folded her arms and eyed him angrily. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Oh nothing," Mike smiled and turned away.
Amber rolled her eyes and once again sunk into her own thoughts, Connor wouldn't respond to an intervention, even if it were just her, she needed to find a better way to deal with Connor's problems.
When Amber looked into the surface of Connor's mind she could feel how lost he was, he was helping out, saving people killing demons but it wasn't his path and he knew that he needed to know who he was, and what his destiny held. Amber knew someone who could help with that.
"Hey Mike," Amber said with a smile etched on her face. "Could you runt things without us for a few days?"
*****************
There was nothing to be heard, nothing out of the ordinary. Connor sat on his window sill, while Mike was in a deep slumber, though he felt guilty for thinking it Connor would love to hear a victim scream, so he could go and rush to someone's rescue and not be so bored.
Connor had felt so useless since he had last seen Angel, it was like seeing him had completely drained him of his power and now he couldn't help but feel lost.
Drawing his attention away from the window Connor's attuned senses felt movement behind the door. Mike was still sound asleep so Connor crept quietly towards the door with his fist at the ready, though he thought in unlikely a demon of any sort would manage to get it's way to his door without anyone noticing, his instincts, from being raised in Quortoth were always preparing for demonic combat.
Once again, a slightly louder noise came from behind the door and after a moment's pause Connor swung the door open with his fist at the ready. But when Connor's vision adjusted he saw it was Amber who had been lurking outside his door, he stopped his fist as she let out a frightened gasp.
"Amber?" Connor asked in surprise.
"You scared the crap out of me," Amber whispered as not to wake anyone.
"Me?" Connor shouted not weary of his voice. He took a look around and changed to a whisper "You were the one lurking outside my room in the middle of the night." He accused.
"I wouldn't be here without a reason."
"Well could you tell me what that is?" Connor asked frustrated. "Cause I was actually sleeping quite peacefully."
"No you weren't," Amber protested. She raised her hand before Connor could say anything. "I'm sorry. Anyway, I have a proposition for you."
"Proposition?" Connor queried.
"How would you like to get out of here for a few days?" Amber asked seductively.
"For what?" Connor asked curiously.
"Well let's just say I have a idea to help you work through your problems.
Generally Connor's instincts as a fighter would have caused his defenses to shoot up, but Amber said it with such calm and understanding that he could only agree to her proposal.
"I'll pack a bag."
After a few moments of packing, Connor got dressed quickly then the two headed out the door quietly, Amber assured Connor she had told Mike and tat they would be okay with the two of them gone for a few days.
"So where are we going anyway?"
*****************
"Welcome to Las Vegas."
The bright neon lights caught Connor's eyes with great magnitude, he had grown up in a world engulfed in great fires, yet these lights had a unique allure about them that made them unavoidable to his all too human eyes.
"See," Amber said taking one hand off the steering wheel, as they raced down the busy streets. "Isn't this a nice break from piss scented alleys and monster guts."
Connor let out a laugh as he took in magnificent sights of the city, everything was so bright and attracted, he had never seen anything so wonderful in his life, besides Amber, she was a good friend to do this for him.
"So it's not that I'm not grateful," Connor assured Amber before his question. "But what exactly are we here?"
"Well I, and Mike, noticed that you had been a bit off lately," Amber said dividing her attention from the road, mildly. "And I could sense that you felt a bit lost so I figured I'd take you to somewhere, or someone that could help you find your path."
"What do you mean?" Connor asked interested. "Do you mean like a psychic or something? Cause I thought you."
"No," Amber confirmed. "This guy's more of a lounge singing karaoke demon."
"Oh, Lorne?"
"What?" Amber asked in shock. "How do you know Lorne?"
"Oh, he used to live at my father hotel." Connor told Amber with a calm smile. "And his name's on that billboard up ahead."
Amber's eyes shot up in shock to see a billboard reading: "Lorne The Green Velvet Fog"
"What the fu-"
Chapter 8:
How could anyone look so peaceful at a time like this? There were at least half a dozen vampires just waiting to break in to kill them all, and Amber looked so peaceful, she was resting. Amber's eyes were closed and here back was against a door being repeatedly slammed by vampires.
"Stop it," Amber laughed reaching her hand out to hit Connor. Her tired eyes opened and she couldn't' help but laugh.
"Stop what?" Connor asked returning the smile.
"Looking at me," she said, stretching. "You're acting as if I'm completely insane. I mean just cause half a dozen vampires will soon break through this door and kill a bunch of us is no need to panic."
"Right," Connor rolled his eyes. "What was I thinking?"
"Now Connor we all know you don't think," Amber said sarcastically as Connor covered his anger with a smile. "So how long are we going to wait here for?"
"Well, personally, I don't think I can wait any longer," Connor looked at their companions, there was only four of them all up but they couldn't' just keep waiting for back up. "I say we do it now."
For a moment, or so, Amber admired the strong determination in Connor's eyes, he was definitely a warrior. Though she tried to just see him as her friend and ally, Amber couldn't help but look deep into his eyes seeing his hidden pain, no matter how Connor had tried to overcome whenever Amber was near him she could feel it, and sometimes he could feel her feel it.
"What do you guys think?" Amber asked turning to their quiet comrades.
"I say we go for it," one of them said, raising his fist enthusiastically.
"Alright," Connor said rolling over and standing. Amber watched him, waiting for a signal to move, when Connor would open an assault on the raging vampires. "Now!' Connor yelled with his sword at the ready.
As soon as Connor said so, Amber rolled out of the way and watched Connor rush out into the mess of vampires, their other comrades soon followed but Connor had taken the lead and was easily fighting the vampires, who had been caught by surprise. They worked as a team, and they did it quite well. Even though Connor took the lead he would be dead without the help of the rest of them.
Amber then got to her feet and joined the fight. It was the strangest thing, despite the odds and the severity of the situation Amber knew they would win. She could sense help was on the way.
A loud crash shot through the building as one of the windows smashed, and a dark coat-wearing figure emerged. The man instantly rolled to his feet and began fighting the vampire with them. And immediately a small meek looking girl with a crossbow and a muscular African American man followed him into the building, and joined the battle as well.
Connor's sword swung about wildly, trying to free himself from the vampire swarm that had attempted to engulf him, he couldn't break free and there were too many of them to fight on his own, he was strong but he was still human, and right now he needed help. Just as Connor was tempted to give up two of the vampires burst into dust, one from a crossbow bolt, and the other by a stake held tightly in Angel's grip, who had come to help in the fight.
Though it wasn't easy for Connor, a deadly fight made seeing his father a lot easier. The two didn't even have time to glare so they simply continued with the fight, Connor had thought his own fighting skills to be impressive but compared to his father they were entirely insignificant.
Angel was taking on about three vampires, and there were only five left, leaving one to Connor and Jade, the other to Fred and Gunn, and it was not long before the fight was over. Angel emerging the victor.
"Hey," Connor said, deciding this time to start the conversation. "Just in the neighborhood?"
"Uh. yeah," Angel responded quickly. "A client came by hoping we could clear out a nest, apparently he's looking to fix this place up and turn it into a low-rent apartment complex."
"Right," Connor said, barely even trying to sound interested. "Well I think we should head back to base, we've been gone for hours." Connor turned to Amber.
It was hard for Amber to be shoved in the middle of a father son dispute, she had heard about Connor's messed up past, son of two vampires, raised in a hell dimension. Though Connor ad never said it to her, she could clearly see, no matter if he wanted to, or if he would admit it, Connor loved his father, maybe that made it harder.
"Connor," Angel called after his son, Connor turned waiting for what Angel had to say. "I was hoping we could talk, you know, catch up."
"I don't think." Connor began as Amber nudged him in the back encouragingly. Though she was trying to help Connor didn't appreciate the nudge. "I think. maybe another time." Connor closed the conversation and turned to Amber, they, and their allies, regrouped and headed back to their base camp, leaving Angel rejected, and Gunn and Fred to console him.
"Hey man, it's alight," Gunn consoled his friend.
"Angel you shouldn't worry," Fred said putting her hand, comfortingly, on Angel's shoulder. "He's jus confused, you know how bad he felt. after."
"Sinking me to the bottom of the ocean for an entire summer?" Angel inquired.
"Well there's that, " Gunn continued. "And if before that, the kid wasn't exactly a poster boy for inner-calm. Growing up with Holtz in a hell dimension must've been like."
"Hell," Angel finished.
"Yeah that."
"But if he's so sorry, why doesn't he want to make it right?" Angel asked dejectedly.
There was a moment of silence between the group, they had grown so close over the years and it was hard for them to keep secrets from each other, but Gunn and Fred had been avoiding saying what was really on their minds.
"Angel," Gunn said after an exchange in looks, between Fred and himself. "There's something Fred and I wanted to ask you."
"What?"
"Well, we spent the whole summer looking for you, and you're back." Gunn waited for some kind of response from Angel but continued when there was none. "Then when you got be, we spent all our time looking for Cordelia, and you found her."
"Are we nearing your point Gunn?" Angel asked, hurt by the mention of Cordelia, and what she had been called off to do.
"What now?" Gunn asked Angel, who hadn't even thought of that. "I mean Connor isn't ready to come back, and though we've had a few cases since you've been back business hasn't exactly been booming. So what now?"
*****************
Of all the things in the world Amber needed, guilt was not one of them. It had been over a day since Amber had been to encouraging for Connor to bond with his father, and he had only grown more distant from her since.
It was so much easier to assume everyone problems were so simple, but like Amber herself Connor's problems were coated in layers of pain and complications.
For almost ten minutes now, Amber had been standing outside the room Connor shared with Mike; the two had been sparing the entire time while Amber had been searching for the words to make peace with Connor. It was so hard for Amber to form a connection with anyone, and the one she had with Connor was too precious to her for her to lose it so quickly.
As Amber's eyes stared numbly at the cold floor her ears and mind shot into the room besides her and she could feel Connor and mike on the other side, though she couldn't physically see the events her mind, and her gift were giving her a good idea to what it was like. When Connor and Mike sparred in generally wouldn't last to long, Connor would quickly gain the upper hand and retain it, always beating Mike, but this time Amber could sense how tense the fight was, Mike was putting his body into overdrive, trying to beat Connor, while Connor was trying to retain his focus and stressing himself out by pressuring himself to improve his skill.
Suddenly Amber's focus was broken by the two loud thuds of Mike's fist smacking into Connor's stomach and face knocking him back and off balance. Amber swung the door open fiercely and saw Connor struggling back to his feet ready to continue to hideous brawl.
"Would you two knock it off," Amber requested with only a slight rise in her voice.
"Yeah Connor," Mike agreed. "Maybe we should call it off for now."
"Well if you're too tired to go on," Connor said raising his eyebrows, trying to goat Mike into another round. "But I guess you didn't have much hope anyway."
Mike eyed Connor with mild anger, his muscles were soar and he was tired from the fight, he would have the strength to go on but he didn't think it would be for them to continue.
"Stop it," Amber said quietly.
When she did that Connor always wanted to know if the pain in Amber's eyes was genuine or if it was just a technique for her to get her own way. But either way he couldn't argue with it.
Connor pulled off his boxing gloves and his sweat soaked t-shirt and headed towards his draws were he kept a small towel, he began to rub the towel over his muscular chest as he exited to room, heading for the bathroom at the other end of the building, he said nothing as he passed Amber and wore is sullen look all the way with him.
"How is he?" Amber asked Mike who was having a cool drink of water, obviously the fight had, had more backlash on him than Connor.
"He's off his game," Mike replied looking Amber head on as he began to smirk. "You really care about him don't you?"
"He's had." It only just occurred to Amber what Mike was implying; she folded her arms and eyed him angrily. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Oh nothing," Mike smiled and turned away.
Amber rolled her eyes and once again sunk into her own thoughts, Connor wouldn't respond to an intervention, even if it were just her, she needed to find a better way to deal with Connor's problems.
When Amber looked into the surface of Connor's mind she could feel how lost he was, he was helping out, saving people killing demons but it wasn't his path and he knew that he needed to know who he was, and what his destiny held. Amber knew someone who could help with that.
"Hey Mike," Amber said with a smile etched on her face. "Could you runt things without us for a few days?"
*****************
There was nothing to be heard, nothing out of the ordinary. Connor sat on his window sill, while Mike was in a deep slumber, though he felt guilty for thinking it Connor would love to hear a victim scream, so he could go and rush to someone's rescue and not be so bored.
Connor had felt so useless since he had last seen Angel, it was like seeing him had completely drained him of his power and now he couldn't help but feel lost.
Drawing his attention away from the window Connor's attuned senses felt movement behind the door. Mike was still sound asleep so Connor crept quietly towards the door with his fist at the ready, though he thought in unlikely a demon of any sort would manage to get it's way to his door without anyone noticing, his instincts, from being raised in Quortoth were always preparing for demonic combat.
Once again, a slightly louder noise came from behind the door and after a moment's pause Connor swung the door open with his fist at the ready. But when Connor's vision adjusted he saw it was Amber who had been lurking outside his door, he stopped his fist as she let out a frightened gasp.
"Amber?" Connor asked in surprise.
"You scared the crap out of me," Amber whispered as not to wake anyone.
"Me?" Connor shouted not weary of his voice. He took a look around and changed to a whisper "You were the one lurking outside my room in the middle of the night." He accused.
"I wouldn't be here without a reason."
"Well could you tell me what that is?" Connor asked frustrated. "Cause I was actually sleeping quite peacefully."
"No you weren't," Amber protested. She raised her hand before Connor could say anything. "I'm sorry. Anyway, I have a proposition for you."
"Proposition?" Connor queried.
"How would you like to get out of here for a few days?" Amber asked seductively.
"For what?" Connor asked curiously.
"Well let's just say I have a idea to help you work through your problems.
Generally Connor's instincts as a fighter would have caused his defenses to shoot up, but Amber said it with such calm and understanding that he could only agree to her proposal.
"I'll pack a bag."
After a few moments of packing, Connor got dressed quickly then the two headed out the door quietly, Amber assured Connor she had told Mike and tat they would be okay with the two of them gone for a few days.
"So where are we going anyway?"
*****************
"Welcome to Las Vegas."
The bright neon lights caught Connor's eyes with great magnitude, he had grown up in a world engulfed in great fires, yet these lights had a unique allure about them that made them unavoidable to his all too human eyes.
"See," Amber said taking one hand off the steering wheel, as they raced down the busy streets. "Isn't this a nice break from piss scented alleys and monster guts."
Connor let out a laugh as he took in magnificent sights of the city, everything was so bright and attracted, he had never seen anything so wonderful in his life, besides Amber, she was a good friend to do this for him.
"So it's not that I'm not grateful," Connor assured Amber before his question. "But what exactly are we here?"
"Well I, and Mike, noticed that you had been a bit off lately," Amber said dividing her attention from the road, mildly. "And I could sense that you felt a bit lost so I figured I'd take you to somewhere, or someone that could help you find your path."
"What do you mean?" Connor asked interested. "Do you mean like a psychic or something? Cause I thought you."
"No," Amber confirmed. "This guy's more of a lounge singing karaoke demon."
"Oh, Lorne?"
"What?" Amber asked in shock. "How do you know Lorne?"
"Oh, he used to live at my father hotel." Connor told Amber with a calm smile. "And his name's on that billboard up ahead."
Amber's eyes shot up in shock to see a billboard reading: "Lorne The Green Velvet Fog"
"What the fu-"